Holiday Events Affect Roads, Parking

Communications Director

Holiday Events Affect Roads, Parking

Make your list and check it twice before hitting the road this weekend: There may be a parade between you and your destination.

Several downtown parking spaces, streets and lanes will be closed Friday, Dec. 2, for the 44th annual WIVK Christmas Parade:

• Beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, street parking is off limits on Gay Street between Cumberland and Jackson avenues; on Market Street between Clinch and Union avenues; and on sections of Church and Jackson avenues.
• The eastbound lanes of Howard H. Baker Jr. Avenue between Hill Avenue and Hall of Fame Drive – the staging area for the start of the parade – will close at 4 p.m.
• Church, Gay and Jackson, part of the parade route, will close to all traffic at 6:30 p.m.
• From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Union Avenue will be closed between Walnut and Gay streets, as will Market Street between Clinch and Union.
• Gay Street will close at 6:30 p.m. and remain closed to non-parade traffic until approximately 8:30 p.m. or whenever the parade is over.
Inbound parade goers are encouraged to park in one of the many downtown garages and walk to find the best spot along the parade route for viewing. Visit parkdowntownknoxville.com.

Love a parade? Want more? You’ve got choices! There are two more parades on Saturday, in addition to the Nourish Knoxville’s Market Square Holiday Market.

Holiday Market – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first three Saturdays in December

Meters on Market Street and Union Avenue near Market Square will be bagged at 6:45 a.m., and the streets will be closed to non-vendor traffic from 8:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Holiday Market hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with farm vendors selling until 2 p.m. near the Market Square stage, and craft vendors and food trucks open until 5 p.m. on Union Avenue adjacent to Market Square and along Market Street.

Fountain City Optimist Christmas Parade – 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3

Northbound lanes of Broadway between Tazewell Pike and Gresham Road will be closed temporarily for the Fountain City parade. The 48th annual parade steps off at 10 a.m.

Rocky Hill Christmas Parade – 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3

Rocky Hill’s parade starts at the Rocky Hill Baseball Park at Alki Lane, proceeds south on Morrell Road, then east on Northshore Drive and concludes in the parking lot of Rocky Hill Baptist Church, 7409 S. Northshore Drive.